Since his debut appearance in 1962, Spider-Man has become one of the most popular and recognizable superheroes of the modern age. Peter Parker’s - orany other version of the characterlike Gwen Stacy - down-to-earth personality and relatable qualities have helped make him and his alter ego the star of numerous feature films and video games.
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Whileplenty of Spider-Man gamesfocus solely on his adventures and tribulations, the hero also appears as a playable character in a variety of other titles as well. Whether he is appearing alongside otherMarvelheroes or just making a cameo, you can play as Spider-Man in other games that perfectly showcase his versatility and humor.
8Marvel Nemesis: Rise Of The Imperfects
During the mid-2000s, Marvel partnered with Electronic Arts to help develop games for them. Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects was the first game that came out of this deal, and its poor reception foreshadowed the inevitable split between the two companies.
One of the strangest decisions that went into the game was to feature a combination of iconic Marvel characters like Spider-Man with new ones created by EA.
Rise of the Imperfects is a Power Stone-style fighting game in open arenas with destructible environments and items.It was incredibly ambitious, but the single-player campaign was almost as dull as the repetitive gameplay.
Spider-Man is one of the main characters in the game, but even he struggles to be interesting or fun to play.
7Lego Marvel Super Heroes & Lego Marvel Avengers
OnceLegobegan developing games for franchises likeLord of the RingsandIndiana Jones, it only felt like a matter of time before they would try to bring the world of Marvel to life with the same aesthetic. Lego Marvel Super Heroes launched in 2013 and was the first of many games to feature a playable Lego Spider-Man.
Lego Spider-Man usually plays a significant role in the campaigns for these games and uses web-based attacks to stun enemies. The only issue is that the Marvel Lego games typically feature up to 200 playable characters, and you might want to spend time with all of them instead of focusing most of your time on a singular character like Lego Spider-Man.
6Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2
During the PlayStation era, the same developer - Neversoft - worked on bothTony Hawk’s Pro Skaterand the early 2000s Spider-Man games. This made it incredibly easy for them to include the superhero as an unlockable character in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2.
Of course, being Spider-Man isn’t easy, and you’ll need to complete 100 percent of the Career Mode to access him.
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It’s a shame that he couldn’t return for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, because Spider-Man is easily one of the best characters in the original game. Not only did he have four spectacular outfits to choose from, but each of his stats was high enough to make most of the other skaters look like amateurs.
If he won’t return to the Tony Hawk series, maybe it’s time for a dedicated Marvel skateboarding game.
5Marvel’s Avengers (PlayStation Only)
Despite a rocky launch,Marvel’s Avengerscontinued to add new characters and content until the final update in April 2023. A majority of new features were available across all platforms, except for the inclusion of Spider-Man as a playable character which was exclusive to anyone who owned the PlayStation version of the game.
Spider-Man became available for free in November 2021, and his web-slinging abilities added a new layer of depth to the strategy and gameplay of Marvel’s Avengers. He didn’t come with a robust story mode like Black Panther’s War for Wakanda, but his presence was still welcome while playing alone or with friends.
It’s still a genuine disappointment that he couldn’t swing his way onto other versions of the game before the last update.
4Fortnite
Shortly after it launched in 2017,Fortnitestarted introducing new skins inspired by the biggest pop culture icons. Afterincluding outfits for a few Marvel heroeslike Black Widow and Star-Lord, it only felt like a matter of time before Spider-Man would be introduced.
It finally happened around the time Spider-Man: No Way Home appeared in theaters, and fans were treated to more than just a few skins from the movie.
Not only could you customize your character to look like the MCU’s Spider-Man or MJ, but Fortnite also included new items and locations inspired by the series. The Web-Slinger item had everyone swinging their way through the world and toward a Victory Royal, while new locations like the Daily Bugle provided fantastic areas to explore and hide.
Fortnite was covered in spiderwebs for a while, a good sign that they delivered a solid crossover event worth remembering.
3Marvel’s Midnight Suns
While most games with Spider-Man as a playable character allow you to swing through open environments at your leisure,Marvel’s Midnight Sunsis a bit more restrictive with what you’re able to do with him. He might not join your squad right away in this turn-based deck-builder, but once he does, he should be on your team as often as possible.
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Spider-Man is easilyone of the best charactersin Midnight Suns, and his versatility on the field is unmatched against most opponents. He excels at using environmental attacks to dispose of enemies, and he can move around more freely than most of the other heroes.
It’s also a blast to hang out with Peter Parker outside of combat, and Midnight Suns does an excellent job portraying his character throughout the entire adventure.
2Marvel vs. Capcom
The era of crossover fighting games seems to have ended, but theMarvel vs. Capcomseries is still considered to be one of the best in the genre. The latest entry - Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite - launched in 2017 and while it wasn’t nearly as beloved as older entries, it continued the tradition of featuring Spider-Man as a playable character like he has been since the beginning.
If you like agile characters that can quickly dodge enemy attacks, Spider-Man is the fighter for you. He was easily one of the best characters in the original Marvel vs. Capcom alongside Wolverine and Strider Hiryu, though his placement in tier lists dropped significantly in the next two games.
No matter where he ranks, it’s always fun to see Spider-Man face new adversaries like Wesker fromResident Eviland Viewtiful Joe.
1Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Similar to Marvel vs. Capcom, Spider-Man has been a staple of everyUltimate Alliancegame since the first one launched in 2006. In these isometric action games, you and some friends play as some of Marvel’s greatest heroes while trying to save the world from devastation.
Each character has unique powers and abilities that make playing as each of them a blast, but there are few better options than Spider-Man himself.
His web-based attacks can easily get you out of a sticky situation once you level him up enough, and his agility makes dodging enemy attacks a breeze. Not only is Spider-Man a blast to play as, but he is often a major part of the campaign and is heavily involved with the events leading to the final battle.
If you need something to play while waiting for the next solo Spider-Man game, Ultimate Alliance is always an excellent choice.
